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UPDATE: 10:30 AM CET
Local Gunmen Kill Six Iranian-Backed Militiamen near Talbiseh City
Homs province: Six Iranian-backed militiamen were killed yesterday evening in an armed attack by local gunmen who targeted a convoy near Al-Farhaniyah village between Talbiseh and Al-Rastan cities in the northern countryside of Homs. The attack coincided with a similar attack on a convoy of regime forces on the Homs-Hama highway in Talbiseh city. According to SOHR sources, the bodies of the dead militiamen were retrieved by a team of the Syrian Red Crescent. At the same time, the attacked vehicle was dragged this morning, after pickup vehicles with submachine guns installed over them had arrived in the targeted site.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Iran’s Regime Sentences Six Political Prisoners to Death
In a chilling escalation of its campaign against dissent, the Iranian regime’s judiciary has sentenced six political prisoners to death on charges tied to their alleged support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The verdict, delivered by Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran’s so-called Revolutionary Court Branch 26, underscores the regime’s increasingly harsh measures against its critics.
The condemned individuals—Abolhassan Montazer, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amrian, Babak Alipour, Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Mohammad Taghavi—face accusations of “membership in the PMOI/MEK,” “armed rebellion against the government,” and “collusion against national security.” Two others, Mojtaba and Ali Taghavi, were sentenced to imprisonment and exile, allegedly for their familial ties to one of the condemned. The sentences follow months of brutal interrogation and torture in Evin Prison, infamous for its treatment of political detainees.
Iran: Retirees, Workers, Teachers Hold Protest Rallies Against Government Policies
In Iran, anger and dissatisfaction among citizens are growing due to escalating poverty and continual price increases. The Iranian economy faces severe challenges, including deteriorating economic conditions and the collapse of the national currency’s value, undermining citizens’ purchasing power and increasing the cost of living. Additionally, the regime’s foreign policies, which involve supporting terrorist groups and nuclear weapons development, play a role in deepening international isolation and attracting more economic sanctions. Added to the regime’s endemic corruption, these factors further deteriorate the living conditions of the people of Iran, fueling protests and unrests that are increasing every day.
In Ahvaz, retirees from the Social Security Organization gathered in front of the organization’s headquarters in Khuzestan province, loudly opposing the economic policies endorsed by Khamenei. With the slogan “Enough with the warmongering, our tables are empty,” they expressed their strong opposition to the regime’s continued squandering of the Iranian people’s financial resources on regional interventions, support for terrorist groups, and nuclear ventures, which they see as primary reasons behind the economic pressures and worsening poverty in Iran.
The Land Subsidence Crisis in Tehran: A Looming Environmental and Infrastructure Catastrophe
Tehran, Iran’s bustling capital with a population of nearly 9.8 million, is grappling with a silent yet devastating crisis: land subsidence. This phenomenon, largely driven by mismanagement of water resources and excessive extraction of groundwater, is causing widespread damage to the city’s infrastructure, environment, and the lives of its residents. Dr. Mehdi Zareh, a professor at the International Research Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, highlights the severity of the issue in an article published in Arman newspaper on November 28, 2024, titled “Tehran Region Under the Risk of Land Subsidence.” His analysis sheds light on the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to this growing challenge.
Iran’s Per Capita is Declining Rapidly
Statistics from the Iranian regime’s Statistics Center indicate that Iran’s “national income per capita” in 2023 decreased by 20% compared to 2011, reaching approximately 884 million rials (around $1,263). The report explicitly reflects the impact of sanctions on Iran’s oil sales. Since 2011, national income per capita declined but slightly improved with the implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). However, following the reinstatement of sanctions in 2017, this indicator remained stagnant and volatile until 2023.
The report’s findings suggest that by 2023, Iran has become more of a “poor country” than ever before. The Statistics Center’s report on per capita income, using constant prices with 2021 as the base year, allows for comparisons across different years by adjusting for inflation. This comparison shows that the net per capita income of Iranians has decreased by up to 20% over the past 13 years.
Why Executions Must Stop
Opposition to the death penalty, a significant global campaign, is gradually gaining traction in Iran. The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, initiated by political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, has now expanded to 25 prisons across the country and is currently in its 44th week. This campaign has garnered widespread public support both inside and outside Iran, becoming a collective demand of the Iranian people. However, the ruling regime, showing complete disregard for this public demand, has accelerated the pace of executions. Despite breaking its ten-year record in 2023, the regime is on track to surpass that record in 2024, with one month still remaining in the year. If this trend continues, a new and unprecedented record will be set.
Ongoing Human Rights Violations in Iran, Who Is Responsible?
In human rights discussions and numerous sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, certain associations based in Iran, along with representatives of the Iranian government, attempt to suggest that the root of Iranian society’s problems lies solely in the “sanctions” imposed by Western countries. They strive to create the illusion that the cause of all the challenges, suffering, and human rights violations faced by the Iranian people stems from external forces. However, reports occasionally published in domestic Iranian media ironically reveal the true roots of the people’s problems and the violation of their basic rights. For instance, on November 27, the website Roydad 24 published an article with a headline that speaks volumes: “Society on the verge of social, economic, and psychological collapse | Who is responsible for the wrong and ineffective governance over the past few decades?”
Khamenei’s Double-Edged Sword: The Basij’s Role in Repression and Collapse
Basij Week in Iran began on November 19 and ended on November 25, 2024. This week it featured various cultural, sports, and artistic programs to prevent the decline in Basij legitimacy. On November 22, a gathering of 3,000 Basij students took place at Khomeini’s tomb, with a speech by Masoud Pezeshkian. The final day of Basij Week (November 25) included a meeting between Khamenei and Basij members, attended by provincial IRGC commanders. As expected, Khamenei’s speech focused on specific themes that align with the regime’s propaganda goals.
One notable highlight was the claim that 60,000 Basij bases nationwide held special events. Additionally, it was reported that 62,000 Basij jihadi groups are actively assisting the government, with 3,000 of these based in Tehran.
Düsseldorf, November 30, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Exhibition Condemning Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Düsseldorf, Germany—November 30, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition to protest the Iranian regime’s rising wave of executions. They also expressed solidarity with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, launched in response to the executions occurring in the regime’s prisons.
